Reflective Essay: Student Involvement In College

I’m all too familiar with the process of finding a “purpose,” a quest that brought me to a meeting with my sophomore year Resident Director, Dylan Larke. As a first generation immigrant student, my university felt foreign and unwelcoming. My resident director listened as I painted my situation verbally; telling him that despite a lackluster first experience in college, I have this ardent desire to do more with my undergraduate career. I don’t remember the exact passage of our meeting, but it was through Dylan’s encouragement that I resolved to pursue active involvement on campus by running, and later elected, as a House Council Executive. My first leadership and student involvement in House Council led to a slew of campus involvement, specifically in Residential Life. As my investment in student life increased, my sense of alienation within the university decreased. It was this gradual experience of belonging that became the core foundation of my interest in student development. I developed leadership by establishing rapport with residents through encouragement and support in a variety of situations; such as finding campus involvement, resources, and being part of the community dialogue. I beamed with pride as my residents developed their own respective roles throughout campus, remembering how each shaped their own path …show more content…
Currently, I lack true in-depth theoretical understanding of the field that I wish to attend, despite earlier involvement in the disciple. I hope to gain a comprehensive understanding of the field of Higher education through the application of related theoretical research into real world scenarios. The University’s blended program of practicum and theoretical research would expand my knowledge of the field through rigorous classes and reflection of materials and experiences